Donovan - Celtia [Unreleased Album]

 Celtia is an unreleased album that was recorded in February 1990 at Sulan Studios, Ireland. There's no record of this album until 2003, in issue number 17 of Pat Hehir's fanzine, Donovan's Friends. Suddenly, in that year of 2003 the album is supposed to be on sale, under the fictitious Durga Records label. There's no reliable proof about this fact, and there is no evidence that Durga Records ever released Celtia, you run into the same story over and over again on the Internet when looking for information about this album. According to Pat Hehir, after the disappointment of One Night In Time not being released, he took Donovan to Ireland to start a new project: Celtia. Hehir and Donovan went into Sulan studios, in southern Ireland, with a bunch of magnificent but not at the time very well known musicians, to join Donovan. Like in the old times, it took them just eight days to record the whole album. These songs were more rehearsal songs never intended for issue, until Hehir decided otherwise. The album was arranged by Maire Bhretnach and engineered by Dan Fitgerald.

Musicians:
· Donovan: acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals.
· David Gilmour: guitar.
· Nigel Kennedy: violin.
· Sharon Shannon: box accordion and fiddle.
· Noël Bridgeman: congas, drums and percussion.
· Anthony Thistlewait: mandolin and slide mandolin.
· Colin Blakey: whistles and flutes.
· Eleonor McIvoy: violin and backing vocals.
· Maire Bhretnach: violin, celtic strings, backing vocals and electric violin.
· Dan Fitgerald: tambourine.
· Steeve Cooney: bass, didgeridoo, lead acoustic guitar, bass and finger picking guitar.
· Mandy Murphy: backing vocals.
· Astrella Celeste: spoken.

01. Watching The Sun Go Down

02. Moon Over Clare

03. Glasgow Town

04. The Ferryman's Daughter

05. Ghost Of Pagan Song

06. Where Are You Now

07. Living On Love

08. Madrigalinda

09. Lake Isle Of Innisfree

10. I Love You

11. Wahine

12. Down By The Harbour

13. Against Your Will

14. Rock Me

15. Lover O Lover

16. Awakening Year

17. Everlasting Sea

link to the free album

Donovan - Celtia [Unreleased Album]

Sharon Shannon - Diamond Mountain Sessions

Sharon Shannon is perhaps best known as a talented fiddle and accordion player in Celtic circles, The Diamond Mountain Sessions should broaden her appeal. This album finds her joined by a multitude of talent, including luminaries such as John Prine, Jackson Browne, and Steve Earle. Since Shannon is primarily a musician and not a singer, the album also contains a number of fine instrumentals. Things get started with "A Costa de Galicia," a lovely jig full of intricate accordion work, and the pipes of Carl Nunez. Next up is a hard, driving Earle song, "The Galway Girl," that is immediately likable and will remind many of his best acoustic work. Browne's vocal on "Man of Constant Sorrow" is enriched by the addition of Mary Staunton on backing vocals, while Dessie O'Hollaran offers a more traditional take on "Say You Love Me." It is probably inevitable that Americana radio will push the vocal tracks, and while this isn't a bad thing, the instrumental tracks have just as much to offer. The Woodchoppers join Shannon on the lovely "The Pernod Watlz," while Liz and Yvonne Kane join her on the medley of tunes titled "Fire in the Bellies." Even though a number of players are present on each track, the arrangements are never crowded. Instead, the sound is open and airy. It is nice that artists like Shannon have been given the freedom to make albums that are stylistically all over the map like The Diamond Mountain Sessions. This broad musical palette serves to show that Americana and Celtic have a lot in common, and gives fans of either style a nice way to expand their tastes. One of my all time favourite albums in case you ask.

1 A Costa De Galica [with Carlos Núñez Muñoz]

2 The Galway Girl [with Steve Earle]

3 The Diamond Mountain

4 Slan Le Van

5 The Four Jimmys (The Fitz Theme)

6 A Man of Constant Sorrow [with Jackson Browne]

7 Say You Love Me [with Dessie O'Halloran]

8 The Pernod Waltz [The Woodchoppers]

9 The Hounds of Letterfrack

10 On the Banks of the Old Pontchertrain [with Hothouse Flowers]

11 Love Love Love [with John Prine, Mary Staunton]

12 Jota do porto do cabo [with Carlos Núñez Muñoz]

13 Fire in the Bellies with Liz & Yvonne Kane]

14 14 - Northern Lights

link to the free album

Sharon Sessions

Sharon Shannon And The Woodchoppers - Live In Galway

Recorded live at the Warwick Hotel, Galway in 2000, this performance which is no longer available  features 12 songs from various Sharon Shannon albums and two previously unrecorded tracks. From beginning to end, 14 tunes later, there isn't anything but great music from a superb band. The Woodchoppers are: Lloyd Byrne on drums, Ronnie O'Flynn, bass; Jim Murray, guitar; Liz Kane, fiddle; Yvonne Kane, fiddle; Mary Shannon (Sharon's sister) on mandolin, banjo, and fiddle; and Sharon Shannon, accordion, fiddle, and whistle.

1. Sandy River Belle

2. Mouth of the Tobique

3. Diamond Mountain

4. Bonnie Mulligan

5. Mighty sparrow

6. Hounds of Letterfrack

7. Polkas

8. Solo - Shannon, Mary

9. Fire in the bellies

10. Rathlin Island

11. Four Jimmys

12. Bungee jumpers

13. Costa de Galicia

14. Penguin

link to the free album

Sharon Shannon And The Woodchoppers - Live In Galway